ISR News Story

Baras is Maryland lead for Systems Engineering Research Center

The Institute for Systems Research is the lead University of Maryland unit, representing the University of Maryland, as a collaborator and partner in the University Affiliated Research Center (UARC), Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC).

SERC is a consortium of 20 universities, with Stevens Institute of Technology as the lead, funded by the DDR&E. The University of Maryland became a partner and collaborator of SERC in March 2010. Professor John Baras (ECE/ISR) is the Principal Investigator for Maryland.

SERC leverages the research and expertise of senior lead researchers from collaborator universities and not-for-profit research organizations throughout the United States—a community of broad experience, deep knowledge, and diverse interests. SERC is unprecedented in the depth and breadth of its reach, leadership, and citizenship in systems engineering. Until the creation of SERC, there was no single organization with the reach and depth to tackle the kind of systems engineering research needed in our rapidly changing world.

SERC provides a critical mass of systems engineering researchers. SERC researchers have worked with a wide variety of domains and industries, and so are able to bring views and ideas from beyond the traditional defense industrial base. Establishing such a community of focused SE researchers promises results well beyond what any one university could accomplish.

SERC provides opportunities to create new funded projects on various aspects of systems science and engineering. A very good example is the current SERC project on the development of a systems engineering pilot capstone for undergraduate engineering students by 14 SERC member universities, including the University of Maryland through ISR. Professors Baras and Mark Austin (CEE/ISR) at Maryland, supported by a $200,000 grant from DDR&E through SERC. They have developed the new capstone pilot course ENES 489P: Hands-on Systems Engineering Projects offered this semester and to be offered again in the Spring 2011 semester.

The University of Maryland and the Fraunhofer Institute will host the Second Annual SERC Research Review (ASRR) on Nov. 9 and 10, 2010, at the Riggs Alumni Center on the campus of the University of Maryland. The Annual SERC Research Review (ASRR) is the once a year opportunity for the SERC community to assemble, share the previous year’s research activities and results, propose new research ideas, and strengthen collaborative ties.